178 HARNESSING THE EARTHWORM 



forces with which to work, limited only by our visualization and 

 use of the possibilities. 



Earthworms know how to compound into topsoil the parent 

 materials of topsoil. They are limited in numbers only by the 

 amount of available food and we have shown that there is, from 

 a practical standpoint, an unlimited supply of food. We know 

 how to carry on intensive propagation to produce the necessary 

 millions and billions of earthworms as they may be required. 

 Each worm is a miniature "mill" for the production of topsoil. 

 If given a chance, each worm will consume and pass through its 

 body every twenty- four hours a weight of soil-building material 

 equal to its own body weight. Considered in units of one million, 

 these tiny mills produce a tremendous tonnage of topsoil in the 

 course of a single year. 



The earthworm is a warm-blooded, air breathing "meat" ani- 

 mal. One or two head of cattle, or a few hogs or other domestic 

 animals, will weigh a ton. The combined weight of one million 

 mature domesticated earthworms will approximate a ton. There 

 is no essential difference between feeding other domestic animals 

 to produce meat and feeding earthworms for intensive produc- 

 tion. However, while the manure of other animals becomes food 

 for worms, the manure of worms (castings) is topsoil which, in 

 turn, nurtures all ife directly, vegetable life; indirectly, all ani- 

 mal life through consumption of the vegetable. 



An old truism states that "A chain is as strong as its weakest 

 link." In the chain of life, the weakest link in nature has been 

 the S!QW transition of vegetable and animal life back to the soil 

 for use again in the eternal cycle. In nature, the earthworm has 

 been one important element of this weakest link in the chain of 

 life. Now, by harnessing available materials and forces for the 

 intensive propagation and use of earthworms, we have demon- 

 strated that we can reinforce and transform this weakest link of 

 the chain into the strongest link. 



Once we catch the vision, take hold of the principle, we can 

 go on from there. It is just as obvious as sunlight. It does not 



